Livan Hernandez and the New York Mets agreed to a minor league contract Saturday, giving the team another pitcher who could compete for the final rotation spot during spring training.
With the move, Mets general manager Omar Minaya all but ruled out bringing back Pedro Martinez, a free agent coming off four injury-plagued seasons in New York. Martinez plans to pitch in the World Baseball Classic next month, hoping he can showcase his stuff before picking a big league offer.
“I think we are pretty much set and we’re going to go forward with the guys that we have,” Minaya said.
If added to the 40-man roster, Hernandez would get a $1 million salary with a chance to earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses based on innings, starts and appearances.
Not a bad insurance move.
